Non-profit

New Era Colorado Foundation

Website:

neweracolorado.org

Location:

Boulder, CO

Tax ID:

26-1389272

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $981,522
Expenses: $1,722,870
Assets: $2,893,217

Type:

Abortion Advocacy & Voter Turnout Organization

Formation:

2006

Executive Director:

Nicole Hensel

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New Era Colorado Foundation is a left-of-center abortion and youth-voter activist group founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, that encourages voter turnout among Democratic-leaning constituencies in Colorado. 1

New Era Colorado campaigns to promote and destigmatize abortion, 2 advocates for the closing of institutions that it claims support white supremacy, 3 and prioritizes race in issuing microgrants. 4 New Era Colorado’s policy agenda, also known as the Youth Agenda, seeks to stop white supremacy by advocating for a total abolition of the modern American criminal justice system. 5

The Brazen Project

New Era Colorado launched the Brazen Project to “#SmashTheStigma around abortions on college campuses across Colorado.” 6 The New Era Colorado Initiative says that it is “Unapologetically pro-abortion.” 7

On January 22, 2024, New Era Colorado executive director, Nicole Hensel, stated that a 2024 ballot initiative to remove the ban on state taxpayer funding for abortions is “going to be the top-of-ticket race in Colorado, and we really see this as a turnout driver, particularly for young voters who make up one-third of the electorate here in Colorado.” 8

Student Assistance Fund

New Era Colorado launched its Student Assistance Fund as a microgrant program to assist college students with holds on their accounts so, that they can obtain their transcripts to apply for further education. 9 The Student Assistance Fund prioritizes “Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color” when determining who receives grants. 10

Youth Agenda

New Era Colorado wrote a manifesto entitled Youth Agenda, which (as of early 2024) was last updated in December 2022. 11 In the manifesto, New Era Colorado states that the crises that young people face are “rooted directly in white supremacy.” 12

New Era Colorado based its Youth Agenda upon their listening tour that occurred in 2021. 13 In their 2022 Youth Agenda Platform, they state, “During the strategic process to create the platform, we prioritized the responses of young people who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of color, queer and/or trans to inform our stances.” 14

The Youth Agenda Platform’s major theme was to end racial injustice. 15 Specifically, the Youth Agenda states, “A racial justice lens also means that we take an abolitionist stance. This political vision aims to eliminate imprisonment, policing, and surveillance to create lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment.” 16

As of February 2024, New Era Colorado’s partnerships include All Above All Action Fund (AAAF), Young Invincibles, ONE Colorado, Colorado Fiscal Institute, Colorado People’s Alliance, Conservation Colorado, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), and Mi Familia Vota (Colorado Chapter). 17

Grants Received

New Era Colorado received a $125,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation between Oct. 1, 2020 through Sep. 30, 2022 to “[b]uild lasting youth power in our state through the democratic process to pursue more progressive policies impacting health equity.” 18

In 2022, New Era Colorado received $362,999 from The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, 19 $328,300 from the Schwab Charitable Fund, 20 $316,400 from Alliance for Youth Organizing , 21 and $20,000 from the Hopewell Fund. 22 New Era Colorado received $108,308.00 in 2016, 23 $46,198 in 2017, 24 and $350,033 in 2018 from the Voter Registration Project. 25

New Era Colorado has also received grants from NEO Philanthropy, 26 Mighty Arrow Family Foundation, 27 and the Movement Voter Project. 28

Key Staff

As of February 2024, New Era Colorado’s staff included Nicole Hensel its executive director. 29 Hensel previously served as deputy vice president of Research and Evaluation at the Future Project. 30 She is a co-founder of RE-EnvisionED, a left-of-center education advocacy group that promotes left-of-center content to create a new generation of trained activists. 31 RE-EnvisionED also provides lesson plans to teachers. 32

Natasha Berwick works as political director, where she leads New Era Colorado’s “legislative session program, issue campaigns, and c4 electoral targeting.” 33

References

  1. “About Us.” New Era Colorado, October 9, 2023. https://neweracolorado.org/about-us/.
  2. “The Brazen Project.” New Era Colorado, November 28, 2023. https://neweracolorado.org/the-brazen-project/.
  3. “Petition to Close the Benson Center.” EveryAction. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://secure.everyaction.com/QypR6NitqE-UdYIThng8KA2?utm_source=bitly#!
  4. “New Era’s Student Assistance Fund.” New Era Colorado. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://neweracolorado.org/saf/.
  5. New Era Youth Agenda Policy Platform – New Era Colorado, December 2022. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/New-Era-Youth-Agenda-Policy-Platform.pdf.
  6.  [1]“The Brazen Project.” New Era Colorado, November 28, 2023. https://neweracolorado.org/the-brazen-project/.
  7. “The Brazen Project.” New Era Colorado, November 28, 2023. https://neweracolorado.org/the-brazen-project/.
  8. Birkeland, Bente. “Colorado Abortion Amendment Campaign Kicks off on Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision.” Colorado Public Radio, January 23, 2024. https://www.cpr.org/2024/01/22/colorado-abortion-amendment-campaign-begins-on-anniversary-of-roe-v-wade-decision/.
  9. “New Era’s Student Assistance Fund.” New Era Colorado. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://neweracolorado.org/saf/.
  10. “New Era’s Student Assistance Fund.” New Era Colorado. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://neweracolorado.org/saf/.
  11. New Era Youth Agenda Policy Platform – New Era Colorado, December 2022. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/New-Era-Youth-Agenda-Policy-Platform.pdf.
  12. New Era Youth Agenda Policy Platform – New Era Colorado, December 2022. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/New-Era-Youth-Agenda-Policy-Platform.pdf.
  13. “The Youth Agenda:  Young Coloradans’ Hopes, Dreams, and Vision for the Future.” Youth Agenda Listening Tour 2021, October 2021. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/WRITTEN-REPORT-The-Youth-Agenda-Young-Coloradans-Hopes-Dreams-and-Vision-for-the-Future.pdf.
  14. [1] New Era Youth Agenda Policy Platform – New Era Colorado, December 2022. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/New-Era-Youth-Agenda-Policy-Platform.pdf.
  15. New Era Youth Agenda Policy Platform – New Era Colorado, December 2022. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/New-Era-Youth-Agenda-Policy-Platform.pdf.
  16. New Era Youth Agenda Policy Platform – New Era Colorado, December 2022. https://neweracolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/New-Era-Youth-Agenda-Policy-Platform.pdf.
  17. Youth Agenda.” New Era Colorado, July 18, 2023. https://neweracolorado.org/youthagenda/.
  18.  “Building Youth Power to Advance Health Equity .” The Colorado Health Foundation. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://coloradohealth.org/grantmaking/building-youth-power-advance-health-equity.
  19. “New Era Colorado Foundation.” New Era Colorado Foundation | Boulder, CO . Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/new-era-colorado-foundation,261389272/.
  20. “New Era Colorado Foundation.” New Era Colorado Foundation | Boulder, CO . Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/new-era-colorado-foundation,261389272/.
  21. “New Era Colorado Foundation.” New Era Colorado Foundation | Boulder, CO . Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/new-era-colorado-foundation,261389272/.
  22. Hopewell Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022 Schedule I. https://www.hopewellfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hopewell-Fund-2022-Public-Disclosure-Copy-065832744.pdf
  23. Return of Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). The Voter Registration Project. 2016. Schedule I. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/264802468_201612_990_2017121515029696.pdf.
  24. Return of Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). The Voter Registration Project. 2017. Schedule I. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/264802468_201712_990_2019012816037223.pdf.
  25. Return of Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). The Voter Registration Project. 2018. Schedule I. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/264802468_201812_990_2020011417024429.pdf.
  26. [email protected]. “Grantees in Action: A Site Visit with New Era Colorado.” NEO Philanthropy, September 20, 2021. https://neophilanthropy.org/grantees-in-action-a-site-visit-with-new-era-colorado/.
  27. “Our Work to Date.” Mighty Arrow Family Foundation. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.mightyarrow.org/our-work-to-date.
  28. “The Brazen Project.” New Era Colorado, November 28, 2023. https://neweracolorado.org/the-brazen-project/.
  29. “Staff + Board.” New Era Colorado, February 1, 2024. https://neweracolorado.org/staff-board/.
  30. Nicole Hensel – Executive director – new era Colorado | linkedin. Accessed February 3, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hensel-868001104
  31. “School Visioning Process.” REENVISIONED. Accessed February 3, 2024. https://www.reenvisioned.org/school-revisioning.
  32. “All Project Materials.” The REENVISIONED Project Materials. Accessed February 3, 2024. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rvGxpSOHDXVm8DPf3znqbMQM_woxBD9m.
  33. “Staff + Board.” New Era Colorado, February 1, 2024. https://neweracolorado.org/staff-board/.

Associated Organizations

  1. New Era Colorado (Non-profit)
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2008

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $981,522 $1,722,870 $2,893,217 $107,107 N $954,526 $0 $100 $85,973
    2020 Dec Form 990 $4,258,219 $2,497,353 $3,666,951 $139,493 N $3,898,617 $347,500 $5,781 $97,769
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,356,016 $1,324,741 $1,851,238 $84,646 N $1,303,089 $53,000 $0 $86,863 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,635,798 $1,440,002 $1,822,758 $87,441 N $1,234,946 $392,033 $0 $66,556 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,481,588 $796,276 $1,596,639 $57,118 N $1,418,899 $57,616 $0 $61,410
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,254,475 $1,204,835 $894,024 $39,815 N $712,362 $534,411 $0 $64,350 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $560,352 $574,609 $831,925 $27,356 N $475,998 $79,000 $0 $67,040 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,126,497 $715,017 $844,666 $25,840 N $758,901 $366,750 $0 $56,851 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $721,238 $591,458 $398,868 $0 N $706,490 $0 $38 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $646,907 $472,749 $269,088 $0 N $646,907 $0 $0 $43,462 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $267,253 $247,961 $94,930 $0 N $267,253 $0 $0 $36,000 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    New Era Colorado Foundation


    Boulder, CO